Players Nutrition

For every physical activity the body requires energy and the amount of it depends on the duration and type of activity. As we know, to play soccer at high standards we must have energy and plenty of it, if we are to sustain technical ability and performance.

Energy is measured in kcal and is obtained from the body stores or the food we eat. Glycogen is the main source of fuel used by the muscles to enable you to undertake both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. If you train with low glycogen stores you will feel constantly tired, training performance will be lower and you will be more prone to injury and illness. Therefore, it is essential that specific attention be given to players eating habits, as their diets have an important role to play to ensure sufficient energy is available to meet performance demands.

Key Nutrient Balance

Carefully planned nutrition must provide an energy balance and a nutrient balance. The nutrients are:

Proteins Essential to the growth and repair of muscle and other body tissue

Fats One source of energy and important in relation to soluble vitamins

Carbohydrates Our main source of energy

Minerals Those inorganic elements occurring in the body and which are critical to its normal functions

Vitamins Water and fat soluble vitamins play an important function in many chemical processes within the body

Water Essential to normal body function as a vehicle carrying other nutrients and because 60% of the human body is water

Fiber The fibrous indigestible portion of our diet essential to the health of the digestive system

Daily Requirements

Personal energy requirement = basic energy requirements + extra energy requirements

Basic energy requirements:

For every kg of body weight 1.3 kcal is required every hour. (A soccer player weighing 70kg would require 1.3 x 24hrs x 70kg = 2184 Kcal/day)

Extra energy requirements:

For each hours training you require 8.5 kcal for each kg of body weight. (For a two hour training session our 70kg soccer player would require 8.5 x 2hrs x 70kg = 1190 kcal)

A total of 3374 kcal for the day.

Energy Fuel

In order to maintain the appropriate balanced diet the blend required is as follows:

Fluids

During exercise the body releases heat through evaporation of sweat and is the way the body maintains its core temperature at 37 degree C. Sweating leads to loss of fluids and minerals that at a high intensity level can be as much as 2-3 liters for a player during soccer match and it is vital that the fluids lost are replaced.

Depletion of the body's carbohydrate stores and dehydration are the two factors that will limit prolonged exercise. Fluid intake is vital to sustain football performance, as dehydration will have dramatic effect on coordination, decision-making and fatigue.

It is very important that we are well hydrated before we arrive for exercise and during training we maintain levels by drinking small amounts at regular intervals.

During exercise it is important that we replace what we have lost and the best way to do this is by drinking Isotonic (Fluid, minerals and 6-8% carbohydrates) drinks. Drinking plain water causes bloating, suppresses thirst and thus further drinking. It stimulates urine output and therefore is inefficiently retained. A poor choice where high fluid intake is required. Water contains no carbohydrates or minerals.

The higher the carbohydrate levels in a drink the slower the rate of stomach emptying. Isotonic drinks with a carbohydrate level between 6 and 8% are emptied from the stomach at a rate similar to water. Minerals especially sodium and potassium, in a drink will reduce urine output, enable the fluid to empty quickly from the stomach and encourage fluid retention.